[Out To Sea] began a relationship I had with [director] Martha Coolidge for a few years that was wonderful, and she certainly cast me in the best roles I've ever had in film.

[The Aviator] came about through John Logan, who I've been friends with for many years.

Needless to say, I was impressed by Felicia [Day] and her moxie with how to do a web series. I mean, she's the queen of the web.

No, actually I'm trying to stay away from the big screen.

I had a fantastic teacher in high school. I had one of those guys you dream of having, who molds your life and inspires you to go in a particular direction, and he was quite brilliant. His name was Cecil Pickett, and a lot of the kids from my high-school drama class are in professional show business and have done quite well.

Initially I objected to the Data makeup. I said, "Why do I need this makeup? Why can't I just look like me?" In fact, I said to Gene Roddenberry, "Don't you think that by this time in history, they would've figured out how to make skin look like skin?" And he said, "What makes you think that what you have isn't better than skin?" And I went, "Um, okay."

Rick Berman, who produced Star Trek, was a big Night Court fan. So he knew who I was as soon as I walked in.